Reservist site adds self-service

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Army reservists have a new tool to manage information related to their military
careers thanks to a new self-service portal at the Army Reserve Personnel
Command Web site.

The new portal, My2xCitizen (twice the citizen), provides Army reservists
with a snapshot of their career information and enables them to customize
data that relates to managing their careers. This includes the ability to
update such basic information as name, address or phone number.

Prior to the launch of the new portal Oct. 12, reservists could update
personnel files via telephone calls, faxes, e-mail messages and written
letters, said Col. Bruce Pittman, commander of the personnel command. My2xCitizen
supports the command's commitment to develop improved services for reserve
soldiers in the field and Army reservists worldwide, he said.

"The ultimate goal is basically self-service to our customers and timely
updating of vital personnel information," Pittman said, adding that the
command's "customers" include almost 1 million reservists, retirees and
other veterans.

The new portal enables active Army and National Guard soldiers who have
served in the Army Reserve to view retirement and promotion information.
The new features also enable current reservists to volunteer for ongoing
operations, including Enduring Freedom.

My2xCitizen features all of the functionality and links previously available
at the Web site and adds personalized career features, including:

To access the portal, reserve soldiers must obtain a valid Army Knowledge
Online log-in and password. Soldiers can then access the portal from the
2xCitizen home page (www.2xCitizen.usar.army.mil),
which has been operational for about a year.

Maj. Rudolph Burwell, chief of public affairs and Webmaster at the personnel
command, said the personalized portal, which cost about $800,000, had been
in the works for about six months. Security concerns took the most time
to overcome, he said.

"We're working with Army Knowledge Online quite a bit because security
is a big portion of this," Burwell said. "There were no major [technology]
bumps, but bouncing off their servers to our database with all the [personnel]
records took some time."

Future applications will include the ability to update marriage status,
training information, and the ability for unit administrators to access
records, Burwell said, adding that those features should be available within
a year.

Maj. Joseph Whitlock, a student at the School of Advanced Military Studies
at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., helped test the portal about a month before its
official launch. He said that being able to update your own personnel file
and make electronic and paper copies is helpful and easy to do.

Whitlock has already used the new portal to change his address and was
also given an online alert that he was due for a five-year physical last
month.